Means for automatically controlling the speed of railway-vehicles.



F. T, JONES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-4. I913.

Patented Jan. 11, 1.916.

IWWMM @Hmmeqi mw L W NS Q w MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF RAILWAY VEHICLES.

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FRANK T. JONES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE JONES SAFETY TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORLPORATION OE MARYLAND.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. April 4, 1913. Serial No. 758,824.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK T. JoNns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Automatically Controlling the Speed of Railway-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved automatic speed controlling mechanism for railway vehicles and has among its objects to provide an improved means whereby the speed of the vehicle may be reduced or the vehicle brought to a stop in case a curve, switch or other portion of a roadway is approached at a rate of speed which is deemed unsafe.

Ihe invention herein set forth relates more particularly to the novel arrangement of track mechanism but is utilized in connection with a train control system such as is illustrated in the U. S. Patents 1,010,371 and 1,010,372 granted November 28th, 1911 wherein the vehicle is provided with a contact shoe which is included in a normal vehicle circuit which latter by maintaining an electro-magnet on the vehicle in an energized condition will hold a train-controlling device also on the vehicle in the running position. In the said prior patents the vehicle shoe is arranged to ride over short ramp rails along the track so as to pick up a substitute current, in case the track is clear and keep the vehicle magnet energized while the normal vehicle circuit is interrupted,

which takes place during the passage of the shoe over the ramp rail.

T he device of the present invention therefore s to co-act with a vehicle structure such as above explained and has to do with the connections which cut oii or supply the cur rent to the ramp rail so that the shoe on the vehicle may pick up a current if the speed is safe but will fail to pick up a current when the speed is unsafe.

he invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1, diagrammatically illustrates the trackway adjacent to the entrance to a switch or siding and shows my improvements electrically connected thereto, and

Fig. 2, illustrates diagrammatically the mechanism employed on the vehicle.

While the invention is illustrated in connection with a switch or siding, it is as applicable to guard an approach to a curve or crossing or to any point where'it is desired to require the train to travel at a reduced speed.

In carrying out the invention I utilize the track rails 1, on which the vehicle travels and interpose insulation, 2, therein at 1ntervals to form blocks or sections and for each block or section I provide a current supply, 3, connecting one side of the said supply with one rail and the other side of said current supply with the other rail. Eaclrblock or section is provided with a short ramp rail,in the present instance the respective blocks or sections are designated, a, 5, 6, and, 7, respectively. In the present instance it is deemed sufi'icient to connect up only two of the ramp rails, 8, and, 9, respectively,-the ramp rail, 8, guarding the entrance to section or block, 5, and the ramp rail, 9, guarding the approach to block or section, 6, from which latter a switch or siding, 10, extends,the switch proper being designated, 11.

lectro-magnets, 12, and, 13, are provided for the blocks, 5, and, 6,-'suitalole wires, 14,

Patented Jan. 11, 1916. H

and, 15, serving to connect the magnets with I the track rails in order that the current supply for each block or section may form a circuit which will normally include the two rails of a block; the electro-magnet for that block and the particular current supply also for that block. Adjacent to the electromagnet, 12, of block or section, 5, there are arranged two armatures, 16 and 16 while three armatures, 17, 18, and, 19, are operatively arranged with respect to the electromagnet, 13, of block or section, 6. For each point where it is desired to reduce the speed of the vehicle, an electric motor, 20, and a current supply, 21, for that motor is provided. A wire or other connection, 22, extends from one side of the current supply, 21, to the motor; another wire, 23, extends from the motor to a contact point, 24, with which armature, 19, normally engages;

"another wire, 25', extends from armature,'l9,

to a contact point, 26, which is adjacent to but normally out of contact with armature,

16 and another wire, 27, connects the armabe seenthat normally when there is no train orvehicle in either block or section, 5, or, 6, and therefore electro-magnets, 12, and, 13, are both energized, the armature, 16, will be held away from contact point, 26, while armature, 19, will be kept. against contact, 24. As armature, 16, is normally held away from contact, 26, the circuit from current supply, 21, through the motor, 20, will be normally interrupted and the motor will remain idle. When, however, a vehicle enters block or section, 5, from block, 4, the wheels of the vehicle will cause the track circuit to pass from the supply, 3, to one rail then through the wheels and axle to the'other rail and backto the said current supply, 3, and thus cause a de'e'nergization of elcctro-magnet, 12, whereupon both armatures, 16 and 16, will drop. lVhen armature, 16, drops it will engage contact point, 26, and thereby close the motor circuit from supply, 21, through the motor, 20, thus setting the motor in motion, for a purpose which will presently be explained. Atlone side of the motor, 20, there is mounted a gear, 28, which meshes with a pinion, 29, on the motor shaft so as to be revolved when the motor is set in motion. An arm, 30, extends from the shaft, 31, on which the gear, 28, is mounted so that it may turn or swing as the gear, 28, is revolved. In the drawing the arm, 30, is

shown in the position it assumes while the motor is at rest and while in this position it engages a contact, 32. A wire, 33, extends from the arm, 30, and connects with one side of a battery or other current supply, 34, while from the opposite side'of said battery a wire, 35, extends, and connects with rail, 1, in section or block, .4. ,A branch wire, so, also leads from wire, 35, and connects with rail, 1, of the block or section, 5. From the contact, 32, a wire, 37, leads to and connects with a contact, 38, with which latter the arnrture, 18, of electro-Inagnet, 13, normally engages, and a wire, 39, leads from said armature to a contact, 40, with which the armature, 16, of elcctro-magnet, 12, normally engages. Another wire, 41, extends from armature, 16, and connects with ramp rail, 8, which guards the entrance to block, 5.

From the foregoing explanation it will be seen that ramp rail, 8, has a normal connection with one side of current supply 34, which connection includes armatures, 16, and, 18, and arm, 30, and that this connection is' maintained only so long as electro magnets,12, and, 13, are energ zed and the arm, 30, remains in engagement with contact, 32," which, is; while.- the-. motora20', is; at

rest. It will also be seen that the rails, 1, of both sections or blocks, 4, and, 5, are connected to the other side of the current supp1y,34, but that a circuit is not normally completed because there is no connection between either ramp rail, 8, or, 9, and either that gear, 28, will revolve and arm, 30, will This sw1ngswing away from contact, 32. ing movement of the arm will be comparatively slow for reasons which will presently be explained, but when the arm has swung to substantially a vertical position it will engagea contact pin, 42, from which a wire, 43, extends and connects with a contact point, 44, with'which latter the armature, 17, of electro-magnet, 13, contacts. From the armature, 17, awire, 45, leads to and connects with ramp rail, 9, which guards the approach to the block, 6, in which the siding, switch or curve is located. It will thus be seen that when the arm, 30, engages contact 42, a connection will be made from one side of current supply, 34, by wire, 33, arm, 30, contact, 42, wire, 43, point, 44, armature, 17, and wire, 45, to ramp rail, 9, while the other side of said current supply, 34, is connected by wire, 35, and branch, 36, to track rail, 1, of block, 5. branches from the wire, 33, of the current supply, 34, and said wire connects with a contact, 47 with which a switch plate, 48, coacts and said switch plate is so arranged as to engage a second contact, 49, when it is brought into engagement with contact, 47, so as to close the gap between the contacts, 47, and, 49. A short wire, 50, connects contact, 49, and wire, 43. The switch plate, 48, has a bar or rod, 51, which is connected to the movable switch rail, 52, in such a way that when the rail is in position to direct the train or vehicle onto the switch or siding, the bar or rod will draw the switch plate, 47, away from contacts, 47, and, 49, and thereby interrupt the connection from wire, 33, through wire, 46, and contacts, 47 and, 49, to wire, 43. connection from battery, 34, by wire, 46, to ramp rail, 9, will leave the said ramp rail Without a connection with the battery, 34, except when arm, 30, has swung around into contact with pin, 42. As heretofore explained the movement of this arm. 30, only,

Another wire, 46,

This interruption of the begins when a vehicle enters. block, 5, and

cuts oil .the,1circuit:throughwires, 14, v,toi.

electro-magnet, 12, thereby causing armature, 16 to drop and close the circuit from battery, 21, through the motor, 20.

The movement of the motor, 20, is such as to cause the arm, 30, to swing slowly and consume a predetermined period between the time it leaves contact, 32, and its arrival and engagement with contact, 42. This time period is such that a train or vehicle if traveling at a greater speed than it should at this protected portion of the road, will reach ramp rail, 9, before it should and before the arm, 30, reaches contact, 42, therefore when the shoe on the vehicle reaches ramp rail, 9, before the arm, 30, engages the contact, 42, no current can be picked up by the shoe because the contact, 42, has no connection with the battery, 34, and switch plate, 48, is moved away from the contacts, 47, and, 49, consequently the circuit on the vehicle to normally keep the controlling devices from operating will be broken by the shoe moving over the ramp rail, 9, and no other current being substituted, a stop will result. If however, the switch, 11, is closed to allow the Vehicle to keep the main track, the plate, 48, will close the gap between contacts, 47, and, 49, and the ramp rail, 9, will thereby have a connection with one side of battery, 34, by wires, 33, 46, 50, 43, armature, 17, and wire 45, which will enable a substitute circuit to be supplied on the vehicle to prevent operation of the controlling device.

One of the main features of the present invention is the provision of some means at a point on the track which will be set by the vehicle so that if the vehicle is traveling too fast it will reach another point before the device previously set has done its work with the result that a stop of the vehicle will be effected. It makes no difference what the reason for slowing down may be a stop will be effected if the vehicle travels too fast between the two points. The mechanism employed on the vehicle includes a controlling device 53, to cause a stoppage of the vehicle in times of danger, a contact shoe or actuating device 54 and a current supply 55. A wheel 56, of the vehicle is also indicated in the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 2. During normal safety running conditions the controlling device is electrically maintained by current from current supply 55, by means of wires 57, and 58 and by wire 59, shoe switch 60, and wire 61. WVhen the shoe 54, rides over a ramp rail however switch 60, will be moved to interrupt the normal vehicle circuit, but if the track is clear a cur- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the rent will be picked up by the shoe and sent by wires 62, and 59, to the controlling device 53, and the return will be by wires 58, and 63, to axle 64, and then through wheel 56 to track rail 1. From track-rail l, the return is then completed by either wire 35, back to battery 34, or by wires 36 and 35 back to said battery.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A 1. A safety device for the vehicle is provided with a controlling device, a magnet to control said device, a contact shoe and a circuit normally including the shoe and magnet, the combination with two contact devices adjacent to the trackway and one in advance of another, of a current supply; a timing means; a connection normally maintained from the current supply through the timing means to one of the two contact devices; a normally broken means between the current supply and the other of said two contact devices; means for setting the timing means in motion and means after a predetermined interval of time from the starting of the timing means for completing the connection between the current supply and the other of said two contact devices.

2. A safety speed device for railways wherein the vehicle is provided with a controlling device, a magnet to control said device, a contact shoe and a circuit normally including the shoe and magnet, the combination with the track rails divided into insulated blocks or sections, of two contact devices each adjacent to a track section which is insulated from the other; a current supply; an electro-magnet for each section and each magnet having an armature; a timing device; connections from one side of the current supply through the timing device while the latter is inactive through at least one armature and to one contact device; means for setting the timing device in motion upon the vehicle entering one track section and means actuated by the timing device only after a predetermined interval of time from the starting of the timing device for connecting the other contact device with one side of the current supply.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK T. JONES.

railways wherein \Vitnesses:

G. Finn). VOGT, CHAS. B. MANN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

